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This invention relates to a flip-up deck arrangement for positioning a mower deck between an operating position, and a storage/cleaning position.
Tractors or dedicated lawn care vehicles are often fitted with mowing decks to allow the tractor or vehicle to perform a grass or vegetation cutting function. These mowing decks typically have a plurality of cutting blades rotatably mounted to a deck housing. The cutting blades serve to cut the growing grass in a swath as the tractor with the attached deck moves along the ground. The deck and attached cutting blades are vertically adjustable by an adjusting mechanism to attain the desired cutting depth. The cutting blades are normally linked together via a driving arrangement of spindles and belts or chains. Power is supplied to the driving arrangement of the deck by the tractor via a power takeoff or some other drive belt or drive chain arrangement.
A lawn mower operator needs the capability of hitching and unhitching the mower deck to and from the vehicle used to propel the mower deck. Removal of the deck allows the operator to perform maintenance on the deck that would not be possible when the deck is attached to the vehicle. Further, an operator may wish to interchange different types of mowing decks or exchange the mowing deck with a different utility implement, for example, a snow blower or snow blade. An extremely advantageous hitching arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,886 to Esau, which is herein incorporated by reference. This patent discloses a hitching arrangement between a mower deck and a propelling vehicle. The hitching arrangement includes a lift shaft rotatably supported by the mower deck and extending transversely across the deck. It further includes at least one hitch arm fixedly secured on one end to the lift shaft, and the hitch arm having a hook located on its other end with a downwardly facing opening adapted for engagement with a generally horizontally disposed attaching member on the propelling vehicle. The cutting height adjustment mechanism is also operably coupled to the lift shaft and adjusts the cutting height of the mower. The adjustment mechanism has a first position corresponding to an elevated cutting height of the mower deck and a second position corresponding to a lowered cutting height of the deck. A deck stand is provided which is releasably attached to the deck. When the deck stand is attached to the deck, movement of the adjustment mechanism toward its second position causes the hitch arm to be swung upwardly to disengage the hook from the attaching member, and the movement of the adjustment mechanism toward its first position causes the hitch arm to be swung downwardly for engaging the hook with the attaching member. As is apparent, this hitching arrangement allows the operator an easy and efficient operation to connect and disconnect the mower deck from the propelling vehicle utilizing the existing height adjusting mechanism of the mower deck.
Although a highly advantageous hitching arrangement, the mower deck of U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,886 does suffer from some drawbacks. In particular, first, the disclosed mower deck does not provide easy access to the bottom of the deck for cleaning and/or maintenance of the blade area. During operation, the blade area and the shrouds surrounding the blades are likely to collect dirt and grass clippings, especially if the vegetation being mowed is moist. Therefore, it may be desirous to be able to clean the bottom of the deck immediately after a mowing operation, and possibly even midway during a mowing operation. With the deck disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,528,886, in order to clean the deck, it may be necessary to disconnect the deck from the vehicle and set it up on end to perform the cleaning operation. As is apparent, the disconnecting and reconnecting of the deck to the propelling vehicle can result in a loss of time and efficiency.
An additional drawback of the mower deck described in the patent is the amount of storage space necessary for the propelling vehicle and deck when the deck is attached to the vehicle. In particular, the longitudinal distance from the front of the deck to the rear of the propelling vehicle can be substantial. Oftentimes it would be desirable to decrease such distance, either for storage in a storage shed, or for transportation on a trailer, while at the same time maintaining the connection between the deck and the vehicle.
Thus, a mower deck attaching arrangement is needed which allows easy and efficient access to the bottom of the mower deck when still connected to the propelling vehicle. Further, a hitching mechanism is needed which allows the reduction in the storage space necessary for the propelling vehicle and mower deck when connected together.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a deck arrangement which allows access to the cutting blade area of the deck, even when the deck is connected to a propelling vehicle.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a deck that is positionable between a horizontal position and a raised position to allow easy storage of a propelling vehicle/deck combination.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a propelling vehicle/deck combination which allows the deck and propelling vehicle to be moved with the deck in a raised stored position.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a flip-up deck arrangement wherein the deck is locked in a horizontal operating position, and can be manually unlocked from such position and thereafter raised, and wherein the deck automatically locks in its horizontal position when lowered.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mower deck which has a height adjusting lever which is collapsible and which does not interfere with the raising and lowering of the deck between an operating and a raised position.
Accordingly, the present invention provides for a mower having a propelling vehicle and a mower deck with at least one mower blade positioned adjacent the front of the vehicle. A lift shaft is rotatably supported by the mower deck and extends transversely across the deck. A hitch arm is fixably coupled on one end to the lift shaft and attached to the front end of the propelling vehicle on its other end. A rotatable joint is located adjacent the lift shaft and allows the deck to be rotated from a horizontal position to a raised position to allow access to the mower blade.
The invention further provides for a flip-up mower deck for attachment to a propelling vehicle. The deck includes a lift shaft rotatably supported by the mower deck and extending transversely across the deck. At least one hitch arm is coupled on one end to the propelling vehicle and coupled on the other end to the lift shaft through a rotating joint. The rotating joint has a locked and an unlocked position. The locked position of the joint substantially fixes the hitch arm with respect to the lift shaft, and the unlocked position allows the hitch arm to rotate with respect to the lift shaft so that the deck can be positioned in a raised position.
The invention further provides for a mower deck rotating mechanism for allowing a mower deck to be transitioned between a generally horizontal operating position and a raised position when the deck is attached to a propelling vehicle. The mechanism includes a hitch arm attached on one end to the propelling vehicle and rotatably attached on the other end to the deck. A latch member is rotatably attached to one of said hitch arm and the deck. A lock pin is disposed on one of said hitch arm and said deck. The latch member is movable between a locked position wherein the latch member engages the lock pin and an unlocked position wherein the latch member is disengaged from the lock pin.
Additional objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention.